Audi Le Mans star Allan McNish says retirement decision easy

The Scot called time on his career following his World Endurance Championship success with Tom Kristensen and Loic Duval for Audi.

While the news came as a shock to many, McNish said the decision-making process was a straightforward one.

"It was not actually a big decision from my point of view," McNish said on the main stage at AUTOSPORT International.

"It was quite easy. It was only difficult in so far as when you have done something for such a long time, you ask yourself why would you want to do something else.

"But with the success we had in 2013, the situation that arose was exactly the right time for me to say this was going to be the last season."

FIRST THOUGHTS AFTER LE MANS

McNish said that he started considering retirement after winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in June.

"I mulled around after Le Mans, that's when it started to pick up a bit," he said.

"Then later in the season it looked like the championship would come and things started to build in my mind.

"In my opinion as soon as it starts to build up, that's the time to stop.

"If you don't commit to everything like you have before, then you're not doing it instinctively. So I was pretty sure Bahrain was going to be my last race."

"What Allan has achieved over his career is remarkable and the way we worked together - we knew all the little things about each other," he said.

"There's no doubt that I would have liked us to continue together, but you have to respect the decision he made.

"It will be strange the next time I come in for a fast pitstop to not have him picking me out of the car and driving off."